The US Army has awarded Mistral a $20-million contract to procure Thor mini unmanned aerial systems (UAS) intended to support multi-mission operations at the company level.
Under the agreement, Mistral will supply Thor vertical takeoff and landing drones along with a range of payloads designed to enhance tactical unit capabilities. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through March 2027.
Mistral is working with Fuse, an Elbit Systems subsidiary based in Israel and the developer of the Thor platform, to integrate multiple mission payloads into the system.
The award follows a separate $15.3-million contract issued to Quantum Systems for delivery of its Vector AI small UAS to US Army Brigade Combat Teams.
Both procurements reflect the Army’s increasing focus on survivable and rapidly deployable drone systems, as recent conflicts have highlighted the value of agile platforms for reconnaissance and targeting missions.
Thor Mini Drone
The Thor Group 2 drone, weighing between 21 and 55 pounds (9.5 to 25 kilograms), is a fully autonomous multi-rotor mini-UAS built for rapid deployment and adaptable payload integration across tactical and reconnaissance operations.
The platform can carry payloads weighing up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms), folds for backpack transport, and can be operational in less than two minutes.
Equipped with an integrated electro-optical/infrared sensor, the drone can autonomously operate for up to 70 minutes.
Thor provides small military units with capabilities including surveillance, target acquisition, communications relay, electronic warfare, and resupply missions.
Its autonomous flight features help reduce operator workload, while its modular payload architecture enables quick adaptation for different mission requirements.
